The present invention relates to a mirror which is particularly useful to orthodontists in attaching orthodontic devices to teeth.
It is now common practice to directly bond individual brackets to each tooth for subsequent attachment of wires or bands used for adjusting or maintaining the position of teeth. The brackets are discrete elements and are individually handled and secured to the teeth in a desired position. It is necessary that the bracket secured to one tooth be properly aligned with the brackets on adjacent teeth.
The brackets are bonded to the surfaces of the teeth. Placement and alignment of the brackets on the front teeth and in the lower arch is relatively easy since these teeth are readily visible. However, the teeth in the upper arch are sometimes difficult to see, and this is particularly true of the upper arch cuspids, bicuspids and molars. These teeth are positioned towards the rear of the arch and are located where the lip of the patient cannot be retracted sufficiently to expose the front face of the tooth for viewing. As a result, it is necessary to use a mirror inserted into the mouth so that the orthodontist can see the face of the tooth and the location where the bracket is to bonded.
Generally available prior art mirrors are circular with a diameter sufficient to see at least two teeth at once. As a result, however, these mirrors are so large that they cannot be positioned easily in an acceptable location in the mouth which may be packed with cotton and obstructed by mouth retractors and the like. If the diameter of the mirror is decreased to a size sufficiently small so that the mirror may be inserted into the mouth with ease, the mirror is so small that the orthodontist can see only one tooth at a time. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to properly align the brackets on the adjacent teeth.